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Stade Francais v Wasps preview

Wasps will be up against it in their quest to win a place in next season's inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup against Stade Francais.

The hard-fought nature of last week's first leg, decided by a last-gasp Andy Goode penalty, shows how well-matched the two teams are, and hints at how close Saturday's winner-takes-all contest in Paris is likely to prove.

Goode's three-pointer handed Wasps the slightest of advantages, a one-point aggregate lead as they travel to France tasked with overcoming a steadfast culture where losing at home is unacceptable, regardless of the opposition.

But the Adams Park outfit can be proud of their display last Sunday in the High Wycombe sunshine; don't forget how many stellar names adorn their opponents, known for the sort of flamboyance found in the greatest abundance in the French capital, beyond the nation's traditional penchant for the unpredictable and the suave.

Springbok pivot Morne Steyn, Les Bleus' skipper Pascal Pape, Wallabies veteran David Lyons and the prodigious talents of Jules Plisson all call Paris home, and while they've gone off the boil domestically in the latter part of the season, Stade will surely be firing on all cylinders in front of their home crowd, with a place in the premier European competition on the line, and with what is essentially a nil-nil scoreline to start from.

Indeed, it will be extremely difficult for Wasps to defend such a slender margin away from Adams Park: for all that last week's visitors were error-strewn and missed points from the tee, they can and do score tries, especially on home soil. They ran in four, albeit one from a chargedown, on Sunday.

Dai Young's men were resilient and spirited, but defensively, they are suspect, leaking an incredible 74 points to an admittedly lethal Northampton Saints side in their final domestic encounter of the season.

As expected after an indifferent Adams Park display, Steyn makes way for the exciting Plisson at Stade Jean Bouin. But the big news is the return of Sergio Parisse, the world-class number eight who can win games on his own.

Lining up opposite him, Young has been forced to swap Guy Thompson for Nathan Hughes - attending his wedding in Fiji - while Ed Jackson and Charlie Davies return to the bench.